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Train that Brain

With each new year come new resolutions, and you're thinking of ways to get your body in top shape for all of the adventures on which you are about to embark. Luckily, a few small hacks can help you meet your goals and live a little healthier this week.

Class Description: Round out your CTF training with our 30-minute treadmill workout
focusing on speed, incline and endurance. The class is designed for
maximum benefits in a short format with a focus on increasing overall
running performance.These purposefully structured intervals will help
you achieve your running goals more quickly than just logging the miles.
Open to all fitness levels; these classes are scalable for novice and
marathoners alike.

Hold on, guys. I need to catch my breath.

CrossTown Fitness* just added a new class to their roster: Total Body Run. This class has a short 30-minute format focusing on speed, incline and endurance. Instead of tacking on miles, this class’ structured intervals aims to help participants achieve running goals faster.

You better believe I tried this out for myself.

Now I am not a huge fan of treadmills, and will
generally choose an outdoor run over an indoor run because dreadmills are so boring!.
No amount of music, TV, podcasts, or audiobooks have ever been able
to make me enjoy my time on this contraption. But, given the short, 30-minute format of this new offering, I went in with an open mind.

Boy, am I glad I went.

Given how this class is set up, each participant can customize the workout to meet their needs and capabilities. In this particular go, our intervals involved some pretty heavy hills. We started out doing a few “climbs” where we increased our speed and incline little
by little at the instructors cue. Before I knew it I was running my normal
run pace but at an incline of 6-7! (Read: MY GLUTES!)

After
a few climbs we went into speed intervals where we pushed ourselves to
hold a harder effort pace for 60-90 seconds before coming back down to
that easy pace and doing it all over again. I actually pushed myself here
and was surprised at how fast I was running without maxing my
heart rate. That’s The time
passed quickly which for once I never begged "please let this end".

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. I don't know about you, but personally, I find the nice dinner at a fancy restaurant plan EXTREMELY played out.

Why not switch it up this year?

Though personally, I am incredibly and undoubtedly single, I'm spreading the love with some of my favorite active winter date ideas for you to do in Chicago. As per my previous statement, even if you don't have a hot date this year, these work wonderfully for a Galentine's Day fiesta.

Let's start with the most obvious one....

1. Ice Skating in the Park

Now for this idea, you have options. My favorite places to ice skate in the city are Lincoln Park Zoo and Millennium Park both of which are perfect for Valentine's Day. As an added bonus, they are both super affordable and offer skate rentals. Could this get any easier?

Provided the temperature is below 45 degrees, Kaiser Tiger turns their massive outdoor patio into the very festive ice curling rink that many have come to know and love. Grab some beers and get your 'curl on'!

3. Hit the Slopes

While this isn't something you can find in Chicago proper, there are plenty of options to found with a short drive. No car? There are plenty of companies and meetups that schedule day trips and transportation to local slopes. Find a list of nearby resorts here.

4. Stay Warm at the Art Institute

But Jess, viewing art isn't a particularly active pursuit. If you've never been to the Art Institute before, let it be known that this museum is MASSIVE. Whether you want to see just a few or all of their many exhibits, you are guaranteed to spend most of your visit walking. Just be sure to wear a pair of comfortable shoes. Your feet will thank you.

Did I miss any of your favorite winter date ideas? Share the love, and let me know in the comments below!

Kindness: an underrated virtue that has the potential to positively change both your life and the lives of those around you.

Today, I turned to my coworker and asked, “Do you ever feel like we collectively become less kind as we age?” When I say hello to the people I have not previously known, they often act like I don’t exist. Even people I am well acquainted with constantly fail to show up when we have plans together without taking the time to inform me their intentions have changed.

And it’s not just my personal world that feels crueler. Especially with this past presidential election, rudeness seems to have flourished in the world. One of the unfortunate benefits of social media is that it allows people to say things to each other that they would never say face to face, so anyone can go on rants to either be ignored or, worse, praised.

While I can’t prove that the world is a meaner place, I can do my best to combat the crudeness. How? In the words of many wise people, by “killing them with kindness.” I’m trying to be a kinder and caring person, and I encourage you to do the same.

Because why not go ahead and make someone’s day?

Say please and thank you. Often. Never underestimate the power of a simple thank-you.

Let pregnant and elderly people have your seat on the bus or train. It's really that simple.

Open doors. Hold the door open for someone carrying a bunch of groceries or a suitcase.

Empty the dishwasher and take out the trash. Why not be a better roommate?

Don’t leave your dirty dishes in the sink. Put them in the dishwasher you just emptied.

Treat your team to coffee in the morning. Surprise your team with their favorite coffee orders waiting on their desk when they arrive in the morning.

Volunteer.

Pick up after yourself. If you’re at a restaurant or café that doesn’t have a busser, put your dirty dishes in the designated area. Throw away your trash. Be a decent human being.

Don’t leave your shopping cart in the middle of the parking lot.

Wear or use a gift in the presence of the gifter. It will make their day knowing you appreciate their kind gift.

Send an old friend flowers. If they live in another city, brighten their day with a bouquet.

Give away the books you’ve read. Go through your bookshelves. Pull out any books you no longer want, and donate them to a local library or charity.

Like many of my millennial friends, my early 20s were weighed down with a decently large sum of student debt. I don't want my mid 20s to follow the same course.

So what's a gal to do?

After examining my finances, I realized that a budget could maybe, potentially, possibly, kind of be beneficial to my financial fitness. If that doesn't sound like commitment...

Due to a few career changes, I don't expect March to be steady in terms of income. Yes, I realize setting goals isn't the same as establishing a budget, but I do want to make my finances more secure before sticking to a set plan.

Diving right in, here are my goals to help me become financially fit this month.

Fix #1: Spend Less on Food

Uggghhhh! My life without Grubhub and Eat24 is incomplete. I easily spend $40 on food delivery each and every weekend. (As I sit here eating food delivered by Eat24....) Yikes! This month, I will do my darnest to end this habit to rein in on my spending.

Not only do I spend a good chunk of change on delivery each week, I also buy my lunch at work every. single. day. I know that bringing a homemade lunch isn't a realistic possibility for me, but I am still ready to look into cheaper options. Since I work in the Loop, I'm giving MealPal a try which will cut daily lunch costs by about $3/meal for 12 days. $36 back in my pocket? Oh hell yeah.

Additionally, I've become accustomed to buying a grande iced coffee from the Starbucks at work every morning. While this isn't a huge pain on my wallet, my goal is to cut these visits down to twice a week for an added savings of $3.07 per coffee-less day.

Fix #2: Nix Online Shopping

I'll be the first to admit that I hate shopping. As a human of this world, I still need to buy things on a fairly regular basis. I wish I could say that I only buy the essentials, but online shopping is just too easy. I mean, one doesn't even need to put on pants to shop via the internet. From the countless emails about new products and sales to the virtual window shopping, it's very easy to be coerced into buying products you don't necessarily need. I, myself, am often a victim of these budget crimes. During this challenge, consider this cord cut.

Fix #3: Increase Income

While I work full time in ad tech, the pay from this endeavor is rather limited. To supplement my income, I freelance, often working an additional 10-20 hours each week. My goal for March is to complete 18-20 billable hours every single week. Per usual, the net income from first 10 hours will be put towards my fixed expenses (and boy do I have enough of them), while the remaining amount will be split between savings and paying the remainder of my student loans. #Baller

So there you have it, my March plan to begin my road trip to being financially fit. Have any ideas on other strategies? Share them in the comments below.